Register Summary

Pope John Paul II met with 8,000 pilgrims during his general audience Dec. 18 — exactly one week before Christmas. Those who were present spontaneously sang traditional Christmas carols from their respective countries, thereby giving the audience a festive air.

The Pope exhorted the faithful to prepare spiritually for Christmas. He told them that Advent and Christmas are not simply a time during which we commemorate Jesus' birth. “Rather, we need to understand that our whole life must be an ‘advent’ — a time of watchful waiting for the final coming of Christ,” he pointed out.

The Holy Father offered three “guides” from Scripture who help us prepare to welcome the Messiah — Isaiah, John the Baptist and Mary. Isaiah exhorts us to be vigilant in prayer, he said, while John the Baptist calls us to repentance and conversion. Mary, he noted, teaches us to embrace God's will: “Mary is the woman who said ‘yes,’ who, unlike Eve, unconditionally made God's plan her own plan. By doing so, she became a beacon for us and is the best model to inspire us.”

John Paul encouraged the faithful to let Mary accompany them in their walk toward the Lord, “remaining vigilant in prayer and exulting in praise.”

During this season of Advent, we are guided by the invitation of the prophet Isaiah: “Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God ... he comes to save you” (Isaiah 35:4). This invitation becomes even more compelling as Christmas approaches and is given even greater importance with the exhortation to prepare our hearts to welcome the Messiah. The one for whom people are waiting will certainly come, and his salvation will be for all men.

On Christmas Eve we will once again recall his birth in Bethlehem, and, in a certain sense, we will once again experience the emotions that the shepherds felt — their wonder and their joy. We will contemplate with Mary and Joseph the glory of the Word who was made flesh for our redemption. We will pray that all men will welcome the new life that the Son of God has brought to the world by taking on our human nature.

Life Is an ‘Advent’

The liturgy of Advent, which is permeated with constant allusions to our joyful wait for the Messiah, helps us to understand fully the value and meaning of the mystery of Christmas. It is not simply a matter of commemorating a historical event that occurred some 2,000 years ago in a little village of Judea. Rather, we need to understand that our whole life must be an “advent” — a time of watchful waiting for the final coming of Christ. In order to prepare ourselves to welcome the Lord who, as we say in the Creed, will come one day to judge the living and the dead, we must learn to recognize his presence in the events of daily life. Therefore, Advent is, so to speak, an intense period of training that steers us resolutely toward the one who has already come, who will come and who is continually coming.

It is in this spirit that the Church is preparing in just one week to contemplate in rapture the mystery of the Incarnation. The Gospel recounts the conception and birth of Jesus and refers to the many providential circumstances that preceded and surrounded such a wonderful event: the angel's announcement to Mary, the birth of John the Baptist, the choir of angels in Bethlehem, the coming of the Magi from the East and St. Joseph's visions. These are all signs and testimonies of the divine nature of this Child. Emmanuel, God with us, was born in Bethlehem.

Three Guiding Lights

During this time, the Church's liturgy offers us three unique “guides,” who show us the attitude we need to adopt as we go out to meet this divine “guest” of mankind.

The first guide is Isaiah, the prophet of consolation and hope. He proclaimed a Gospel that was proper and true for the people of Israel when they were slaves in Babylon and exhorted them to be vigilant in prayer so that they would recognize the “signs” of the Messiah's coming.

Then there is John the Baptist, the Messiah's forerunner, who appeared as a “voice of one crying out in the desert,” preaching “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (see Mark 1:4). This is the one condition for recognizing the Messiah, who is now present in the world.

Finally, there is Mary, who, during this novena of preparation for Christmas, guides us toward Bethlehem. Mary is the woman who said “yes,” who, unlike Eve, unconditionally made God's plan her own plan. By doing so, she became a beacon for us and is the best model to inspire us.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us allow the Blessed Virgin to accompany us in our walk toward the Lord as he comes, remaining “vigilant in prayer and exulting in praise.”

I wish you all the very best as you prepare for the coming Christmas season.